Q Can postal carriers smoke on the job? The mail delivered to my house smells like an ashtray.
A Letter carriers are not allowed to smoke while delivering or collecting mail, according to Pete Nowacki. spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service.
Because they work outside the office, they are allowed to smoke while on lunch or authorized breaks. They are instructed to remove and empty ashtrays every day and lower windows to allow smoke to escape the vehicle and minimize the effect on the mail.
Recharging cell phones Q What's the story on batteries in cell phones? I keep hearing that I should let the battery run down before I charge it. What is the correct thing to do?
A It depends on the type of battery.
Most early cell phones used nickel-cadmium batteries as a power source. Most cell phones today use lithium-ion batteries because they can be made quite small and thin. The nickel-cadmium battery occasionally needs to be discharged fully before recharging. That is not true for lithium-ion technology. It's typically not a good idea to let lithium-ion batteries get too low or to drain completely because to fully recharge the lithium-ion battery places unnecessary strain on them. The bottom line is to know the battery type in your phone and either check the phone's manual or call the manufacturer for recommendations.
Send your questions to Fixit in care of the Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-9033, or e-mail fixit@startribune.com. Past columns are available at www.startribune.com/fixit. Sorry, Fixit cannot supply individual replies. Fixit appears daily in Source except on Friday.
